Make your event stand out
Welcome to our case study page, where we showcase some of the events we've organized in the past. These events were chosen for their unique challenges, creative solutions, and overall impact. Each case study provides a detailed look into our planning process, the obstacles we overcame, and the results we achieved. Our hope is that these case studies will provide valuable insights and inspire you to create memorable events of your own.
Las Vegas Conference Activation Case Study
How Sara in the City conceptualized and implemented the innovative and creative idea of offering a service project at Harri’s booth at a large user conference in a Las Vegas convention center that aligned with Harri's brand values and supported the overall strategy of showcasing their commitment to service and social responsibility.
Challenge: Design an engaging booth activity for a client attending a crowded and busy user conference in Las Vegas with only two weeks time for planning and execution. Attract and engage distracted attendees while aligning with the brand and allowing the sales team to interact with them and scan their badges.
Solution:
Service Focus: The activation was designed to align Harri's brand values of service by hosting a service project at their trade show booth that would benefit a nonprofit organization working to end child trafficking. Love146 was chosen based on their alignment with Harri's brand and their mission to prevent trafficking through their "Not a Number" program.
The service project consisted of creating 150 kits containing supplies needed for Love146. It was promoted through social media and company newsletters prior to the event. During the on-site activation, attendees were encouraged to pack a bag to help end human trafficking. While they participated, the sales team engaged with them, scanned their badges, and showcased the nonprofit through framed cards with QR codes. As Harri's is not located in Las Vegas, the supplies were efficiently ordered and delivered directly to the trade show venue, and the completed kits were then shipped directly to the nonprofit for distribution, minimizing the costs and efforts associated with traveling with additional supplies.
Message Alignment: The nonprofit Love146 was chosen because Harri wanted to offer a service project in their trade show booth that reflected their core values as a brand. Many of Harri’s clients are deskless employees that work in hotels and restaurants. Unfortunately, the hospitality industry is also a place where human trafficking occurs, and this was a way that Harri could highlight that issue and offer support to a nonprofit striving to end human trafficking.
Objectives:
Complete 150 bags to donate to the nonprofit Love 146.
Support the supply needs of “Not a Number,” prevention program by Love146 for 36 months.
Scan 50 unique badges during the activation.
Create content for social media platforms that would be engaging pre, during, and post event with 25 unique interactions credited to this activation.
Key Metrics:
Complete 150 bags to donate to the nonprofit Love 146.
Support the supply needs of “Not a Number,” prevention program by Love146 for 36 months.
Scan 50 unique badges during the activation.
Create content for social media platforms that would be engaging pre, during, and post event with 25 unique interactions credited to this activation.
Single Day Conference Case Study
How Sara in the City Events thoughtfully curated and designed a world-class event experience for HX Venture Funds that drove attendance and built a reputation for the conference and client to increase their presence in the industry and set the standard for future events.
Challenge: The event would take place on the fourth floor of The Ion, a unique and brand-new venue in Houston that serves as a startup incubator with office space, common areas, and retail. The floor was an empty warehouse space with a raw industrial feel. There had never been an event the size of Venture Houston at the venue, and it would take special and careful strategy to plan and execute one.
Solution:
Design of the Event: To support the ability for professionals to attend and stay all day during a workday, we divided the fourth floor in half, assigning half of the space as our general session and the other half for our networking and co-working lounge, overcoming challenges with lighting and lack of ceiling and floor plugs and outlets.
Flow of the Event: With the end goal in mind of keeping everyone safe and comfortable during the conference, we carefully planned the flow of the event. Registration would take place on the 1st floor of the building- just between two main sets of doors. We used tables, retractable stanchions, and signage to help with crowd control and make check in as quick as possible.
Security and Traffic Plan: With Gwyneth Paltrow as the celebrity keynote speaker, additional security was brought in to ensure everyone’s safety. Officers were stationed at key points and there was a separate safety plan to accommodate the keynote speaker. We encouraged the use of ride share and public transport, but we also anticipated that many guests would drive. We interviewed four valet companies and held site visits to get their input on how to best direct traffic from the parking lots to the doors of the venue.
Catering: To support an attendee coming and staying all day, we offered a networking breakfast, all day coffee bar, grab and go lunch, and a happy hour.
Objectives:
To plan a one-day, well-executed conference that would attract 800 registrants in the innovation industry.
·To entice at least 30% of attendees to stay to the end of the event by offering an event design that supported desired behavioral outcome as well as planned amenities and incentives to keep them on site.
·To target an audience that would vary across industries from the Greater Houston Area and beyond.
·To link investors to startups and startup capital.
·To target an audience that identified with the following job titles: “Founder”, “Partner”, and “Managing Director.”
·To achieve satisfaction from the attendees that this was an enjoyable and useful way to spend their time.
·To build brand awareness for the client and this event by having it covered by a regional publication.
Key Metrics:
900 attendees, exceeding 800 person goal
40% attended happy hour and stayed entire event
25% Founders; successfully linked investors to startups and startup capital
17% venture capitalists; successfully targeted an audience across industries
Media coverage: covered by “Innovation Map” before and after the event date
Trade Show Booth Activation Case Study
How Sara in the City thoughtfully curated and designed a world-class event experience for Plum at RecFest USA that engaged attendees in addition to attracting them to their booth. This was the first time this conference was being held in the United States and Sara in the City helped Plum to make a splash.
Challenge: Sara in the City was tasked with planning at 10x10’ activation booth at RecFest USA for a Plum. The client was seeking to design an activity for their booth that would set them apart from their competitors and educate attendees on their value using innovative strategies.
Solution:
Strategy: We embraced the festival-like experience of the conference and created an immersive, engaging experience that brought the client's tagline, "When people flourish, business thrives," to life.
Experiential Elements: Attendees were treated to hair braiding, floral embellishments, and boutonnieres, creating a sensory and interactive experience that aligned with the theme of flourishing.
Mirrors with Affirmations and Games: The booth featured mirrors with affirmations, reinforcing the message of personal and professional growth, and tying back to Plum's focus on people flourishing. We created 3 games that were displayed at eye level near the mirrors like a Plum word search so they could learn a little about the brand while they were staring at their reflections.
Custom Word Search Games: Custom word search games were created to educate attendees about Plum's services and values in a fun and engaging way, encouraging interaction and participation.
HR Focused Game: "Swipe Right, HR's Ultimate Match Game": A custom-created game was developed to further engage attendees and educate them about Plum's offerings in a unique and memorable way.
Alternative Outreach: We supplied boutonnieres for people that did not want braids. The flowers were presented dried and in brand colors and the ribbon featured Plum tagline.
Message Alignment: The use of innovative and creative elements such as games and experiential activities demonstrated a thoughtful strategy to engage attendees and communicate Plum's message effectively bringing Plum's tagline, "When people flourish, business thrives" to life.
Objectives:
Increase brand awareness for Plum during a high-growth phase, transitioning from a startup to an established company, by creating a trade show booth that prompts attendees to inquire about the brand.
Showcase Plum as a leader in the industry and garner support of industry influencer that would be on site such as the Recruitment Flex Podcast and Chad and Cheese podcast.
Keep guests engaged in the booth for a minimum of 10 minutes to ensure time to familiarize themselves with their brand.
To create content for the client’s social media platforms that would be engaging pre, during, and post event. The client wanted to have 25 interactions credited to this activation.
Key Metrics:
1800 Badge Scans (90% of conference attendance)
15 minutes of engagement: average time spent at Plum’s booth per person
345 Braids successfully linked investors to startups and startup capital
25 Linkedin mentions directly linked to Plum’s booth
3 Influencer Podcasts mentioned Plum’s booth on their shows
Influencer Partnership formed with Madeline Laurano, Founder of Aptitude Research, and Chad Sowash, co-host of the Chad and Cheese Podcast, with Chad Sowash co-hosting a Plum webinar
Client Testimonials
Michelle Meehan, Plum Strategic Brand Expert“There are vendors, then there are VENDORS. Sara in the City, is the latter. She takes a vision - I want to create the experience of people flourishing with flowers and hair braiding - and not only brings it to life in the most beautiful and thoughtful way but also finds incredible treasures like the braidbabes to execute on-site. No matter the city or the experience you are trying to create, Sara is the person to make it happen.” Sara Higgins, Harri"Service is at the heart of what we do at Harri so incorporating a give back element or service project into our events is a no brainer for us. It's an easy icebreaker and allows for deeper connections to be formed and nurtured. We love connecting with the community for something meaningful and showing you are invested in something bigger than your business goes a long way. We couldn't have pulled this off without Sara. From idea to execution, she went above and beyond to set us up for success."